A few months ago my 17 year old daughter Nikki came home and said “Guess what happened today?” Before I even had a chance to reply she burst out “I got a job mommy!”
She totally caught me off guard considering the fact I had no idea she was even looking for one. She went on to tell me that she was in her favorite local boutique, Reign,where she frequently shopped and summoned up the courage to ask the owner if they were hiring.

The owner smiled and asked her some basic questions about what grade she was in and her age. When my daughter informed her she was 17 and finishing up her Junior year in high school. The owner then told her that she normally only hires college age girls that have some prior retail experience. Instead of taking her comments as a rejection, my daughter didn’t get intimidated and told the the owner that she loves fashion and was a quick learner. The owner was suddenly listening now! Nikki added that she lived minutes away from the store and had her own car to get there. Impressed by her attitude and determination looked Nikki up and down and commented “You certainly have the right look and style to work here.” Then she hired Nikki on the spot.

It wasn’t a easy transition for Nikki who suddenly had give up her after school naps and couldn’t hang out with her friends as often especially since she worked almost every weekend. She made some personal sacrifices but when she started to get weekly paychecks she had a new found sense of independence and I watched my little girl transform into a beautiful responsible young woman.

On my birthday she bought me a beautiful pair of Tori Burch sandels. I was so touched because I knew how many hours she worked to pay for them. I told her she shouldn’t have spent so much of her own money on a gift fot me but she dissagreed and said “Mommy, it’s the first time I bought you a present you deserve because I love you so much!” Of course I cried.

Nikki continued to work and she would come home with stories about customers who she helped find the “perfect” outfit to wear for a special ocassion or a college student who needed a whole new wardrobe. Nikki told me how she so good she felt when she saw a customer smiling as they looked at themself in the mirror in a outfit she helped them pick out.

That was about six months ago and my daughter still works there. It took very little time to prove to owner she made the right decision. Only about a month after she started working , the owner told her that although she was the youngest employee she ever hired and proved to be a valuable asset to her very busy boutique. She even was named “salesperson of the month” that affirmed Nikki was doing a excellent job at Reign.

I also shop in this trendy store where I now even get a 20 percent discount! A perk of being Nikki’s mom. Lol. One day when I was in the store the owner pulled me aside and told me that Nikki was loved by her customers and the store staff. “I am adopting Nikki,” she joked. “You can have her until she leaves in a year for college.” I jokingly repied.Then she said on a more seriously note “You should be so proud of yourself for raising a daughter that is so responsible, confident and respectful of others.” She added “These things can’t be taught at school.”

As I left the store that day I thought to myself although me and husband certainly weren’t perfect parents we did a pretty good job raising our Nikki!

There are witches all around us. Most are good and have only the best intentions. I should know because my mother always claimed she was a witch! Like most witch’s she was a strong woman who fiercely loved and protected my family at any cost. My mother taught me while growing up that being a “good” person was more important than any religion. She warned me that although she felt most people were “good” I would come in contact with a few people in my life who were truly evil. She seemed to have this 6th sense to spot a dark soul or what she referred to as having the “evil eye.”

My mother didn’t have a book of spells or cook up a special brew to get rid of people who crossed her path with the intention of causing her and my family halm. All I know is she somehow fought back and they never crossed her path again.

Witches are misunderstood. My mom didn’t fly around on a broomstick or wear a pointy hat. However, she loved black cats and of course we had one that always sat on my mother’s lap. LOL!

My mother only wished the best for her friends and her family. She was a role model and such a positive inspiration in my life . Even though My mother called herself a “witch” to me she was angel on earth .